Ipswich Borough Council to stop funding some bus services due to rising prices
Costs for bus services have gone up by over 40%
Last updated 4th Aug 2022
Ipswich Borough Council is to stop financially supporting some bus services due to rising costs for things like fuel and maintenance.
The council say "with the funding required so much higher than budget –we cannot afford to fund all the bus service that we do at present."
Although Suffolk County Council are the transport authority with responsibility for supporting bus services, they have not been funding bus services recently.
It means the Borough Council has been forced to step in to subsidise some routes which otherwise wouldn't be financially viable.
Costs for services has gone up by over 40%
Ipswich Borough Council’s current budget for subsidising bus services is £138,000 per year, but the costs for services has gone up by over 40% to £196,000 due to increased costs for diesel, vehicle parts and salaries.
The Council has been able to increase the bus subsidy budget by £30,000 by allocating some of the parking fees charged at Cromwell Square but is unable to find further funds due to its own pressures caused by Covid and inflation.
Which services could the council continue to fund:
Subject to a decision by the Council’s Executive at its meeting on 9 August, it is likely that the Council will be able to continue to fund:
Service 4 (Sundays and Bank Holiday daytime)
Service 12 (Monday to Saturday evenings)
Service 14 (Monday to Saturday daytime off-peak)
Service 15 and 15A (Monday to Saturday evenings)
Services 2, 5E, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15/15A on a Sunday and Bank Holiday evenings
However, the Council says its unlikely to be able to keep funding the last service of the day on routes 3E, 5E, 8, 9 and 13.
The authority says it will seek to reinstate these services if more funding can be found at a later date.
"The funding required is so much higher than budget"
Cllr Phil Smart, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change at Ipswich Borough Council, says:
“The Council remains committed to bus services in Ipswich but with the funding required so much higher than budget – even with the additional Cromwell Square money - we cannot afford to fund all the bus service that we do at present. I am pleased that we are able to continue supporting most of the existing services.
“If additional funding becomes available or costs come down sufficiently in future, we will reinstate the other services”